How A Faded Magazine Horoscope United Two Actors
In 1997, actors Peter Houghton and Anne Browning were cast as lovers in a production of Hamlet in Melbourne. Their initial professional encounter was marked by a sense of mutual caution; Houghton recalls being struck by Browning’s formidable presence and intense green eyes when they first met in the Melbourne Theatre Company cafeteria. We were both single and playing onstage lovers. Slightly scary green eyes looking at me, i still recall those intense. But also quite formidable, i thought to myself: she is very attractive. But humour was the key, at first it was a little awkward. I asked Anne what the stars could have in store for us in 1972. It was weird and uncanny but we just laughed it off. I quickly flicked to the next page but somewhere in my brain I knew it was the truth. It is very much her style – and I liked that it had a question mark on the end of it. She was living with her sister and I was living in this big groovy warehouse in Richmond with other actors. The bohemian setting made me look a bit more impressive and artistic than I was, i liked that when she’d come to my place. She trusts me, and we don’t let each other down, i trust her implicitly.
As rehearsals progressed, their relationship moved from professional formality to personal connection through humor. During downtime, they would sit on the rehearsal floor and amuse themselves by inventing backstories for people featured in old 1970s magazines left in the corner of the room. This shared levity helped bridge the gap between their roles as stage partners and their burgeoning real-life dynamic. We’d flip through the faded 70s magazines left in the corner and make jokes about what the models in flares or with chopped beards might be saying as they shot the images, instead of practising our lines. Filling our days and nights with dinner and theatre dates, after the show closed our connection grew and we officially became a couple. Anne and I share a clown-like heart that over the decades has helped us through hard times.
A turning point occurred when Houghton discovered a horoscope column in one of the vintage magazines. He asked Browning about her star sign—Scorpio, which matched his own—and read aloud a prediction he initially intended to mock. The text stated: “You have met someone now through work who will be one of the most important people in your life, perhaps a partner and soulmate.” The accuracy of the statement in that moment, he noted, left him momentarily stunned. One day by chance I flipped to the horoscopes. I felt embarrassed because it sounded like some kind of calculated romantic ploy.
The pair eventually transitioned their off-stage chemistry into a committed relationship. While walking home along St Kilda Road after a performance, Houghton admitted his feelings, telling her, “I think I’ve got one of those crushes on you.” Browning’s understated response—“Well, that’s good. Isn’t it?”—served as his confirmation that she reciprocated his affection.
Their early relationship included learning the realities of their compatibility outside the theater, such as an ill-fated hiking trip to Wilsons Prom. Neither actor was particularly skilled at camping, and the experience culminated in a desperate, humorous retreat to a KFC for a meal after struggling with their provisions. This shared ability to laugh at their own shortcomings became a cornerstone of their bond. Secretly thankful we weren’t in nature any more, as soon as we got back to the car we made a beeline to KFC and gorged ourselves on fried chicken after days of miserable camping stodge. Anne was violently ill all the way back – all that rich food after rehydrated dust.
Over the nearly 30 years since they met, the couple has raised two children and traveled the world to perform.
Houghton credits their longevity to a foundation of deep trust and an enduring sense of humor that helps them navigate life’s challenges, including the grief of losing parents. He reflects that while he remains skeptical of astrology generally, he retains a soft spot for the specific, out-of-date prediction that acted as a catalyst for their lives together.
Houghton and Browning continue to work as creative partners. They are set to perform in the world premiere of the play Crapbox, which runs from 27 October to 7 November at the Explosives Factory in St Kilda, Melbourne, alongside co-star Tom Gutteridge.
